Sambucus' Simply Spiffin' Circus
Sambucus' Simply Spiffin' Circus was a very large traveling troupe that roamed farther and wider than most traveling troupes do. It was named for the hare in charge of it (one Sambucus Meliton Argle Dunworthy) by his daughters Gibbosa and Withe. Over the span of three seasons it would make the rounds of Mossflower, Southsward, the far South Coasts, the High North Coasts, the Eastern Flatlands, the Northern Mountains, and the areas inbetween, hitting specific large areas such as Castle Floret, Redwall Abbey, The Valley of Noonvale, and Salamandastron, but also performing a show for any group willing to watch and offer food and shelter for the night; the fourth season (Winter) would be used for holing up near the Badger and Bell Rocks through the bitter weather, reaheasing and relaxing interchangably. They carried with them a series of tents while traveling for camps and costume changes, which they would attach together to make one large communal shelter over the winter. The Circus was a motley crew of creatures. Some of them, like Rhus, Rosida, and Pearl, were orphans taken in by Sambucus and his daughters. Others such as Fumbillia, Wotsit, and Goliath, were freak-like oddities searching for a place to fit in, while others still (like Leelo, Zina, and Shander), were outcasts in the world searching for a family. The main object of the troupe, as explained by their ringmaster, was to provide the "best, most extravangant, most unusual, most dangerous, thrilling, amusing, fascinating, and awe-inspiring entertainment known to ladies and gennelbeasts!"; they strove to meet this criteria with rigorous and strictly organized rehearsals between shows, though there was no serious animosity in the rather chummy band as a general rule. The band also doubled as a home for unwanted beasts: many of the members were abused, abandoned, neglected or mistreated in their home society before joining up. Though none of the members save Sambucus himself were trained as warriors, they could deal with vermin when necessary; usually, the more delicate or pretty performers were requested to stay out of battles in case they were injured. They lost several members - including two of their best acrobats - when a band of vermin led by Bagnose launched a landslide on them, but the vermin did not survive their prank, and the strong family unity of the group helped them pull through the tragedy afterwards. They played a big part in the final battle against the Destroyers; the troupe's resident heron (and best actor) frightened many hordebeasts into thinking he was the spirit of a cheiftain long dead, and several other members took out a good deal of the vermin by fighting with balancing poles and carving knives. The Circus was in existence for over thirty seasons - when Sambucus passed away from old age, his daughters and the remaining members could not agree on who to elect ringmaster because nobeast felt good enough for the job. They did a final tour, and then amicably dissolved the troupe, most of the members settling down in Redwall Abbey. Full Roster of Official Troupe Members *Dellmar *Ellex *Florimund *Fumbillia *Gibbosa *Goliath *Hori *Inazza (replaced Pearl after her death) *Leelo *Marduke *Pearl *Poppy *Raffy *Rhus *Rosida *Sambucus *Shander (replaced Taodar after his death) *Tangus *Taodar *Withe *Wotsit *Yushania *Zina *Several anonymous squirrelbabes Category:ScottyBlue's Characters Category:Tribes/Groups Category:Little Flower Characters